Creative Activities for Kids

Nurturing creative talents

Kids love getting crafty and creative, but if their usual
crayon drawings are getting a bit stale, it might be time to shake things up a
bit. These creative projects will spark their imaginations and maybe even
produce some fridge-worthy masterpieces!

Make a Scene

With lots of components, this large-scale project is a
great one for kids to work on together. Start with a huge piece of paper and
paint it an appropriate background hue – for example, black for a space scene, or
green for a jungle. Then set the kids to work filling in the scene with
whatever objects or creatures they like. Let them loose with coloured card,
tissue paper, Textas, sequins and glitter (if you can stomach the mess), then
stick them onto the background with glue or Blu-Tack. For a fun variation,
replace the paper with felt, which sticks to itself, so kids can move their
creations around as they like and create a different story every day.

Striking Silhouettes

This fun craft activity doubles as a frame-worthy keepsake for mum and dad. Choose a piece of paper – coloured or white, or even patterned wrapping paper works well – and Blu-Tack it to the wall.

Sit your
child sideways in front of the wall, with a lamp shining directly at them,
casting a clearly defined shadow onto the paper. Draw around the shadow with a
pencil – or better yet, get your kids to help each other with this part – and
then have them fill in the shape with black crayon or paint.

Custom Clothing

Pick up plain T-shirts for your children to customise. This
activity can be tweaked for all ages; let the little ones loose to make
confetti patterns with fabric paint and stamps, or, if your kids are old enough
to operate an iron, try iron-on washi tape. If your tweens are interested in
learning to use a sewing machine, encourage them to experiment, sewing rickrack
trims or creating T-shirt pockets out of patterned fabric scraps (and learning
a new skill along the way).

Gone Fishin’

Make a magnetic fishing game. This is a great one for all
ages, with even the littlest ones loving the process of creating and then
playing the game. Fold a piece of paper in half and draw a fish (you can
download a template or freestyle it) so the mouth is at the folded end. Cut out
and glue a paperclip between the two fish. Make as many fish as you like,
encouraging the kids to add lots of detail and bright colours to each. Then
attach a small magnet to a piece of string, using a chopstick or similar as a
fishing pole, and away you go!

Flip Book Fun

Teach your kids about the basic principles of animation
by getting them to make their own flip books. Almost everyone made these as children,
but to refresh your memory, you’ll need a sticky notepad and a marker pen.
Start on the last page of the pad and draw a little stick figure, a basic face
or even something as simple as a dot. The rest is up to your kids’
imaginations! To begin with, they might like to draw a dot that grows or
bounces around the page – move it a tiny bit on each page you draw. Or draw a
stick figure waving or jumping, or a funny face frowning then smiling.

DIY Paper Beads

Making your own paper beads is a fantastic activity that
will keep the kids busy for hours. Cut coloured or patterned paper into long,
thin triangles. Then, starting at the wider end, wind the paper around a
knitting needle, sealing with glue pasted along the last inch or two of paper.
Leave to dry for a few minutes, then gently ease off the needle. Thread onto twine
to make stylish accessories.

Just Add Salt

Salt painting is one of those messy-but-worth-it projects
your kids will love, whether they’re toddlers or tweens. Paint a picture with
thick blobs of PVA glue or drizzle the glue directly from the bottle. Sprinkle
liberally with salt, shaking off the excess. Then, using liquid watercolour
paint (or watered-down acrylic or diluted food colouring), touch the tip of the
paintbrush to the salt and watch the colour spread like magic!